Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026

A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation
Published on: June 28, 2015
Arrested cracks in nonlinear lattice models of brittle fracture
1Department of Mathematics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Abstract:
We generalize lattice models of brittle fracture to arbitrary nonlinear force laws and study the existence of arrested semi-infinite cracks. Unlike what is seen in the discontinuous case studied to date, the range in driving displacement for which these arrested cracks exist is very small. Also, our results indicate that small changes in the vicinity of the crack tip can have an extremely large effect on arrested cracks. Finally, we briefly discuss the possible relevance of our findings to recent experiments.
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Stress-Strain Diagram - Brittle Materials
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Stoichiometric Point Defects
Behavior of Concrete Under Compressive Load
As the concrete specimen fractures under...
Microcracking in Concrete
Types of Non-structural Cracks in Concrete
Plastic shrinkage cracks typically form within hours after the concrete is poured. The concrete's surface dries faster than the bottom, creating tensile stress that the still-plastic concrete cannot withstand, leading to diagonal or randomly patterned cracks on the concrete surface.
Plastic...

